1. Technical Field
The technical field is resistors.
2. Related Art
Resistors are typically specified as having a nominal resistance, a room temperature resistance variation, and temperature coefficient of resistance. The temperature coefficient of resistance describes the variation in resistance of a resistor as a function of temperature change.
Integrated circuit performance depends upon the electrical characteristics of semiconductor devices in the circuit. One method for adjusting the electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device is by “trimming” one or more resistors in the device. Trimming of resistors can be done by chemical, mechanical, and electrical means. Conventional trimming methods involve heating a resistor to change electrical and physical properties of the resistor. Once a conventional resistor has been trimmed, however, its properties are fixed and cannot be changed once the semiconductor wafer carrying the circuit has been diced and packaged.